Research and Inventions of Professor Hon-Ming Lam

(A) Scientific Breakthroughs

Concerns of food security and utilization of legumes

1. H.-M. Lam, J. Remais, M.-C. Fung, L. Xu, S.S.-M. Sun*. 2013. Food supply and food safety issues in China. Lancet381:2044-2053.

2. C. Foyer*, H.M. Lam, H. Nguyen, K. Siddique, R. Varshney, T. Colmer, W. Cowling, H. Bramley, T. Mori, J. Hodgson, J. Cooper, T. Miller, K. Kunert, B. Vorster, C. Cullis, J. Ozga, M. Wahlqvist, Y. Liang, H. Shou, K. Shi, J. Yu, N. Fodor, B. Kaiser, F.-L. Wong, B. Valliyodan, M. Considine. 2016. Neglecting legumes has compromised human health and sustainable food production. Nat. Plants 2:16112.

First to use genomic approach to demonstrate biodiversity of wild soybean, thus open a path to better utilize genetic resources

3. H.-M. Lam*, X. Xu, X. Liu, W. Chen, G. Yang, F.-L. Wong, M.-W. Li, W. He, N. Qin, B. Wang, J. Li, M. Jian, J. Wang, G. Shao, J. Wang*, S.S.-M. Sun*, and G. Zhang*. 2010. Resequencing of 31 wild and cultivated soybean genomes identifies patterns of genetic diversity and selection. Nat. Genet. 42:1053-1059. (cover story)

Identification of salt tolerance gene and use it in breeding

4. X. Qi, M.-W. Li, M. Xie, X. Liu, M. Ni, G. Shao, C. Song, A.K.-Y. Yim, Y. Tao, F.-L. Wong, S. Isobe, C.-F. Wong, K.-S. Wong, C. Xu, C. Li, Y. Wang, R. Guan, F. Sun, G. Fan, Z. Xiao, F. Zhou, T.-H. Phang, X. Liu, S.-W. Tong, T.-F. Chan, S.-M. Yiu, S. Tabata. J. Wang, X. Xu*, H.-M. Lam*. 2014. Identification of a novel salt tolerance gene in wild soybean by whole-genome sequencing. Nat. Commun. 5:4340.

5. M.-W. Li, Z. Wang, B. Jiang, A. Kaga, F.-L. Wong, G. Zhang, T. Han, G. Chung, H. Nguyen, H.-M. Lam*. 2020. Impacts of genomic research on soybean improvement in East Asia. Theor. Appl. Genet. 133:1655-1678.

Environmental impacts of soybean intercropping

6. K.-M. Fung, A.P.K. Tai*, T. Yong, X. Liu, H.-M. Lam. 2019. Co-benefits of intercropping as a sustainable farming method for safeguarding both food security and air quality. Environ. Res. Lett. 14:044011.

Potential development of legumes in South Africa

7. C.H. Foyer*, K.H.M. Siddique, A.P.K. Tai, S. Anders, N. Fodor, F.-L. Wong, N. Ludidi, M.A. Chapman, B.J. Fergusson, M.J. Considine, F. Zabel, P.V.V. Prasad, R.K. Varshney, H.T. Nguyen, H.-M. Lam. 2019. Modelling predicts that soybean is poised to dominate crop production across Africa. Plant Cell Environ. 42:373-385.

Building open resources for soybean scientists and breeders

First reference-grade wild soybean genome

8. M. Xie, C.Y.-L. Chung, M.-W. Li, F.-L. Wong, X. Wang, A. Liu, Z. Wang, A.K.-Y. Leung, T.-H. Wong, S.-W. Tong, Z. Xiao, K. Fan, M.-S. Ng, X. Qi, L. Yang, T. Deng, L. He, L. Chen, A. Fu, Q. Dong, J. He, G. Chung, S. Isobe, T. Tanabata, B. Valliyodan, H.T. Nguyen, S.B. Cannon, C.H. Foyer, T.-F. Chan*, H.-M. Lam*. 2019. A reference-grade wild soybean genome. Nat. Commun. 10:1216.

Upgrading cultivated soybean reference genome

9. B. Valliyodan, S.B. Cannon, P.E. Bayer, S. Shu, A.V. Brown, L. Ren J. Jenkins, C.Y.‐L. Chung, T.‐F. Chan, C.G. Daum, C. Plott, A. Hastie, K. Baruch, K.W. Barry, W. Huang, G. Patil, R.K. Varshney, H. Hu, J. Batley, Y. Yuan, Q. Song, R.M. Stupar, D.M. Goodstein, G. Stacey, H.‐M. Lam, S.A. Jackson, J. Schmutz, J. Grimwood, D. Edwards, H.T. Nguyen*. 2019. Construction and comparison of three reference‐quality genome assemblies for soybean. Plant J. 100:1066-1082.

Sequencing 134 most important cultivated soybean in China in the last 100 years

10. X. Qi, B. Jiang, T. Wu, S. Sun, C. Wang, W. Song, C. Wu, W. Hou, Q. Song, H.-M. Lam*, T. Han*. 2021. Genomic dissection of widely planted soybean cultivars informs a new breeding strategy in post-genome era. Crop J. (accepted)

Korean wild soybean

11. M.A. Nawaz, X. Lin, T.-F. Chan, J. Ham, T.-S. Shin, S. Ercisli, K.S. Golokhvast, H.-M. Lam*, G. Chung*. 2020. Korean wild soybeans (Glycine soja Sieb & Zucc.): Geographic distribution and germplasm conservation. Agronomy 10:214.

1000 soybean genome of USDA

12. P.E. Bayer, B. Valliyodan, H. Hu, J. Marsh, Y. Yuan, T.D. Vuong, G. Patil, Q. Song, J. Batley, R.K. Varshney, H.-M. Lam, D. Edwards1*, H. T. Nguyen*. 2021. The USDA soybean pangenome. Plant Genome (accepted)

Full publication list of Prof Hon-Ming Lam is at http://137.189.43.137:8080/Publications/HML-publications.htm.

(B) Policy Paper Proposal

13. Policy paper “Legumes: Solutions to Human Health and Agricultural Sustainability” sent from World Universities Network to United Nations in 2015

(C) Application of New Varieties

14. Certificates of Longhuang 1, 2, 3 approved by official authority

15. Certificate of Fendoumulu 9, a Semi-wild Soybean for Forage Use

16. Certificate of Application Acreage and Economic Benefit of Stress-tolerant Soybean Cultivars, Longhuang series from 2016 – 2020

17. Area of Application of Longhuang series spanning 2,000km on Loess highland

18. Supporting Letter by International Food Company on Partnership and Economic Benefit brought by Poverty Alleviation Program of Longhuang series Cultivation

19. Letter of Collaboration on project “Climate Smart Soybean Cultivation” and Intention to form the South Africa Society for Crop Breeding and Research from Professor Ndiko Ludidi, University of Western Cape, South Africa